Fruit-drier



- (No man.)

R. E. BURNS, Fruit Drier.

No. 234,115 Patented Nov. 9, I880.

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- products of combustion into the flue b.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERTE. BURNS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DRI ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,115, dated.November 9, 1880,

Application filed April 2', 1880.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. BURNS, of'

nace to the drying-room as to equalize the distribution thereof and notscorch or shrivel the fruit before drying has been effected, and also toprovide means for carrying off the moisture arising from the fruitduring the process of drying; second,to afford facilities for suspendingthe fruit edgewise on drying-frames, so that a more rapid defecationwill take place; and, third, to afford a means whereby the smallerfruits can be dried with greater facility than has heretofore beenpossible. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicatelike parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the. center of thedrier. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectiouthrough the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the deflecting-plate, viewing the same from theunder side. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the drying-frame andsuspending-rods.

The construction of my improved drier will be as follows: In anysuitable compartment or building I construct my drier A preferably of arectangular formin plan, and having an aperture, a, in the bottomthereof, through which cold air is admitted.

The furnace F has a smoke-flue, b, which is provided with a branch flue,b. The flue b enters the chimney a, and it is provided with a valve ordamper, d, which, when desirable, is used to deflect the current ofhot-air and This flue b is provided with a damper, e, which, whendesirable, closes the passage and allows the fire from the furnace topass off through the flue b.

In the bottom of the drier I place the drum B, so as to permit the freepassage around it of atmospheric air, which enters through the openinga.

. On the rear inner side I form a ledge, f, and

on the front inner side a ledge',f. These two ledges serve to supportthe drying-frames G, which are passed in through suitable openings,which may be closed by air-tight doors.

The drying-room is provided at its top part or roof with an exit-fluehaving a damper, h, and is employed for creating a draft through thecompartment and conducting away the moisture from the fruit which isbeing dried into the chimney 0.

The drying-frames U are made rectangular in form, and so that air willcirculate freely through them. The edges of the drying-frames areprovided with bent hooks i t, which support rods jj, extending from endto end, and upon which I hang the larger kinds of fruit, passing therods through the fruit after it has been sliced.

In drying the smaller kinds of fruit, such as cherries, berries, &c., Iemploy two wire screens, E E, having a mesh just small enough to preventthe fruit from falling out, and upon one of which I lay the fruit andthen place the other screen over it, after which the screens are placedin the drying-frame and secured by suitable clamps'or catches in anupright position in thedrying-room. These screens are provided with rodsk is, to brace and steady them and prevent their bulging or sagging withthe weight of the fruit, as shown.

For directing the heated air to difi'erent parts of the drying-room Iprovide a deflector or diaphragm, D, having short legs, which rest uponthe drum B. By sliding this deflector from one side or the other thecurrent of heated air is deflected to the opposite side or sides, and byclosing the passage on one side the air is permitted to pass up theother three sides, or by closing two sides the heated air will pass upthe two sides which are open, and thus the heat is transmitted frompoint to point to equalize its effect upon the fruit in the drying-room.The main object of this deflector, however, is to prevent the heated airfrom the drum coming in direct contact with the lower tier of fruit andto cause the cold and hot air to commingle and pass up the spaces aroundthe diaphragm adjacent to the walls of the drier and through thesuspended fruit, the sheet of zinc which I use being a goodnon-conductor of heat.

The process of drying fruit will be as follows,

to wit: The fruit having been placed between the Wire screens E E, orhaving been hung upon the books i i, the drying-frames are placed in thedrier, and the damper 11 being turned to close the flue b, the hot airand products of combustion will pass through the flue 1) into the drumB, which it heats, the surplus or that portion necessary to keep up adraft passing into the flue I)", provided with adamper, I, and thenceinto the chimney c. The cold air which enters the opening-a is heated bycontact with the drum and connecting-tines, and rises up and passes allaround the fruit, which is suspended from the drying-frames or heldbetween the screens, and then passes, with the steam, from the dryingfruit, through the flue g into the chimney c, the object being to carry0d the moisture from the room by the introduction of air at the bottomof the drvingcompertinent by creating a current upward and out throughthe flue g.

In drying different kinds of fruit at the same time, should one portiondry too rapidly, the deflector is moved so as to bar the passage of theheated air to that portion and direct it against that portion which hasnot been suiticiently dried.

By operating the dampers or valves in the fines g and b the heated airmay be held for a longer or shorter time in the drier, and the dampersin the flues b and b can be made to regulate the supply of hot air andproducts of combustion to the drum B, and by opening the valve or damperd and closing the valve 0 the smoke is excluded from the drum B andpermitted to pass through the flue b into the chimney c, thus givingfull control of the machine to regulate the intensity of the heat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, lS-

1. In a fruit-drier, the frame 0, provided with the upright screens E Eand books i t, arran ged to operate as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fruit-drier, the chamber A, having opening a and containing thedrying-frame O, deflector I), and drum B, in combination with thefurnace F and fines b,b', I)", and g, provided with suitable dampers,all constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purposesdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 24th day of March, 1880.

ROBERT EDWIN BURNS. 1,. s.]

Witnesses:

U. W. M. SMITH, HOLLAND SMITH.

